Twenty-five states, counties and cities in the United States started receiving shipments of the H1N1 vaccine this week. Due to the limited quantities available, priority has generally gone to high risk groups such as health care workers and children. Australia also launched its mass H1N1 flu vaccination efforts earlier this week, its largest campaign ever.

A Consumer Reports poll found that only about a third of Americans plan on definitely getting the H1N1 vaccine, while almost half are undecided. The WHO meanwhile reiterated its confidence in the H1N1 vaccine and encouraged mass vaccination.

A new report warned of a potential hospital bed shortage in 15 states if 35 percent of Americans were to get H1N1.

The CDC reported that bacterial co-infections are playing a role in the H1N1 influenza pandemic, finding that almost one third of a sample of patients who died in the past four months from H1N1 had bacterial infections that complicated their illnesses.

Two studies on the 1918 to 1919 influenza pandemic were reported this week. One study found that children of women who were infected during the 1918 flu pandemic while in pregnancy were at greater risk of having heart disease later in life. Another found that aspirin misuse might have led to the high death toll during that pandemic.

A study using data from Mexico found that hospital patients with laboratory-confirmed H1N1 were less likely to have received a flu shot last winter. These findings are the opposite of those from an unpublished Canadian study leaked last week.

For more information from Children’s Hospital Boston on the seasonal and H1N1 flus, visit our Flu Information Center.

One thought on “H1N1 (swine flu) weekly update: Sept. 30 to Oct. 6”

Beckie Webber Lundrigan
My children 3 and 6 got vaccinated with the H1N1 mist this past Monday. They have to go back in for weeks for another. I am OK with this because the live attenuated mist does not have Mercury in it. Although, I hope I don’t come to regret it. What a crapshoot!

NiCole Bourgeois Atkins
I’m not sure what to do, my pedi said my 3yr doesn’t have to get it, however he wants me 2yr old to get it. He was ill has a child and has hydrocephalus caused by a brain bleed in my last trimester. I’ve been through the ringer with him, at 2 he’s perfectly fine very healthy with no major affect’s from this condition. I feel like it will be a catch 22 if I do or don’t do it. I’m so torn.

Meri Fulchino
The mutli dose vials have a preservative in them that are part of the mercury family. These were meant to help doctors save money by getting the larger bottle and giving multiple patients doses from there. The preservative is a very small amount. You can however ask for the single dose vial which DOES NOT contain that preservative and is only meant… Read More for one patient. The mist with the live virus wasn’t recommended for kids or pregnant women, but no one says you can’t get it for them either. The CDC was on this morning discussing all this. If you go to Good Morning America’s website, they have the interviews and info